Saturday, October 29, 2016

Germany: the comments of The european commissioner on the “bridled” chinese are causing an outcry – 20minutes.fr

GERMANYGünther Oettinger, who is known for his straight-talking, also shocked by his statements on gay marriage…

The european commissioner Günther Oettinger in Berlin, September 26, 2016. – Stefan Boness/Ipon/SIPA

M. C. with AFP

Published on 30.10.2016 02:07

updated the 30.10.2016 02:08

It makes a mockery of the “slanted” chinese and denounces gay marriage “imposed”. The broadcast of a speech of the european commissioner Günther Oettinger, in which he speaks particularly of “restricted” and same-sex marriage “imposed”, generated a public outcry on Saturday in Germany, his country of origin, but also in France.

Prompted by a federation of business leaders in Hamburg (north) on Wednesday evening, Günther Oettinger, gave a speech recorded by a participant, video recovery on Saturday by the website of the magazine Der Spiegel. The european commissioner for the digital Economy, which must be soon in the ranks by accessing the portfolio in the Budget of the european executive, took the lid off the Chinese, women, gay marriage, or even the former chancellor of the SPD Gerhard Schröder.

The chinese ministers “combed from left to right with a shoe Polish black”

He says, and having received of the chinese ministers, all “combed from left to right with a shoe Polish black”. The author of the recording, claims to have started filming after that, Günther Oettinger, had warned of the risk of the “crooks” and “bridled” to take advantage of the inability of Europe to enter into free trade agreements.

>> also read : Michel Sapin deplores the remarks of the european commissioner on France

Günther Oettinger “should urgently rethink its vision of the world,” said the secretary general of the social democratic Party (SPD), Katarina Barley, when asked by the Spiegel. “Someone who spreads openly racist and homophobic to be disqualifies for the highest political office”, she added.

The French association SOS Racisme has abounded in this direction and called the president of the european Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and the German chancellor Angela Merkel to “take appropriate sanctions in the face of this behavior unworthy of a member of the Commission”.

“Populist light”

Interviewed by the newspaper Die Welt, Günther Oettinger has defended. “It was a colloquial expression that is not wanted in any case a lack of respect vis-à-vis China”, he said.

In the same speech, he describes Horst Seehofer, chairman of the conservative party of the bavarian CSU, a party allied to the christian democrats of the CDU of chancellor Angela Merkel and including Günther Oettinger is a member, as a “populist light”. Known for his outspokenness, Günther Oettinger also spoke of “the same-sex marriage imposed” referring to a set of topics of discussion in Germany, where the same-sex marriage does not yet exist.

“A commissioner must be able to defend with credibility the european values of non-discrimination instead of spreading prejudice and racist and homophobic,” responded in a press release Stefanie Schmidt, spokesman of the Federation of gays and lesbians Germany (LSVD), demanding an apology.